Tokyo, Jan. 12 (Jiji Press)—Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko pledged Thursday to “truly confirm” the safety of the Toyosu wholesale food market through expert examination before making a decision on the issue of relocating functions of the current Tsukiji market, the biggest fish market in Japan, to the newly built market.

Koike made the promise when she met with industry group leaders at the Tsukiji market in Tokyo’s Chūō Ward during her first Tsukiji visit since she decided in August last year to put off its relocation.

She also told them that the metropolitan government will announce the results of the final round of periodic checks of groundwater at the Toyosu market, located in neighboring Kōtō Ward, on Saturday.

When Itō Hiroyasu, chairman of the Tsukiji Market Association, called on Koike to make a certain decision by March on the relocation issue, the governor answered she hopes to do so as soon as possible but safety of consumers must be secured first.

The Toyosu market was originally set to take over functions of the aging Tsukiji market in November last year. But Koike suspended the plan after the revelation that work to control pollution was not fully carried out at some facilities at the Toyosu market, built on a site where a gas plant had stood.